DOI Number: 10.5958/0976-5506.2019.00944.

Assessment of the Knowledge Regarding Risk Factors and

Preventive Measures of Chronic Diseases among Students of
Southern Technical University in Basrah

Majid A. Maatook1, Rajaa Ahmed Mahmoud2

1
Health and Medical Technology College, Basrah, Iraq, 2 Directorate of Health, Basrah, Iraq

Abstract
Chronic “non-communicable” disease is a term that describes any disturbance in the function of the body
structure and metabolism that results in chronic change of the individual’s usual life style. However, despite
knowing the great importance of knowing the risk factors of chronic diseases, very little information is
known about the awareness level of university students on this issue.

The purpose of this study is to assess students’ knowledge about the risk factors and preventive measures of
chronic diseases among students of Southern Technical University in Basrah.

It’s a cross-sectional study involved 350 college students from the Southern Technical University using a
Downloaded From IP - 180.151.4.186 on dated 13-Jan-2020

questionnaire approved Basrah Health Directorate/ Research Unit/Training Department.

Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

Age and sex were the most identified risk factors by the students (94.3% and 89.1% respectively). While the
www.IndianJournals.com

level of education and over-consumption of alcohol were found by the study to be among the least identified
factors (24.9% and 21.7% respectively). Furthermore, on studying the knowledge of the study sample on
the preventive measures of chronic diseases at the individual level, maintaining healthy weight was most
identified preventive measure followed by avoiding smoking and eating health food (66.3%, 64.3% and 60%
respectively).

For the overall knowledge of the Southern Technical University students regarding risk factors of chronic
diseases, the study found that only one third of the students knows more than 50% of the total risk factors
included in the study.

A poor overall knowledge regarding the risk factors of chronic diseases was found among the students of
Southern Technical University in Basrah. That’s why a specified educational program is highly recommended
by the present study targeting the students of Southern Technical University in Basrah.

Keywords: Chronic Diseases ; Risk Factors; Basrah

Introduction A risk factor to a chronic disease on the other hand,

Chronic “non-communicable” disease is a term that
describes any disturbance in the function of the body
structure and metabolism that results in chronic change
of the individual’s usual life style(1).
According to the World Health Organization,
chronic diseases are the causal factor of 60% of the total
global deaths (2,3).
is any factor, or exposure that rises the likelihood of
causing a long-term sickness or injury (4).
Some studies reveals that having a risk factor for a
chronic disease, is considered by the individual as a real
life threat, and “the greater the perceived threat, the more
likely an individual will change his/her behavior”(5,6)
Nevertheless, being unaware of such a risk factor
can impede having an an action to control/prevent it(7).
 1600 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2019, Vol. 10, No. 4

Hindering a risk factor of a chronic disease therefore Individual related factors:

can result in a missed number of cases within the
population and consequently might present lately as
advanced and complicated cases.
In India, which doesn’t differ much than the other
developing countries, youth and students are considered
to be “an age of transformation” that are specifically
well known to have practice some risky behaviors
that increase the possibility of having chronic non
communicable diseases(8).
Therefore targeting this age group of the population
with special awareness programs is a mandatory
preventive and control strategy that countries should
focus on(9).
Yet, increasing awareness of communities regarding
these risk factors plays a bigger role in preventing
future complications and consequently decreasing the
Downloaded From IP - 180.151.4.186 on dated 13-Jan-2020
• Background risk factors: age, sex, level of
education and genetic composition;
• Behavioural risk factors: smoking, unhealthy
diet, Excess alcohol drinking and physical
inactivity.
• Intermediate risk factors, such as elevated
blood lipids, diabetes, high blood pressure and
overweight/obesity.
Population related factors:
• Social and economic conditions: poverty and
unemployment.
• Environment, such as climate or air pollution;
• Cultural: practices, norms and values
Accordingly, the following factors were included in
the questionnaire:

morbidity and mortality on a wider population level(10).

• Age
Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

However, despite knowing the great importance • Sex

www.IndianJournals.com

of awareness activities regarding chronic diseases

• Level of Education
risk factors, very little information is known about the
awareness level of university students on this issue(11,12). • Genetic causes
• Poverty
Materials and Method
• Employment status
Study design and sampling methodology: The study • Smoking
is a cross-sectional one that took place during March-
• Excess consumption of alcohol
June 2018. 350 college students from the Southern
Technical University were included randomly with the • High blood pressure (or hypertension)
assurance of involving both genders in replying the • Physical inactivity
questionnaire questions. • High cholesterol
All of the included students were informed about the • overweight/obesity
aim of the study and an informed consent was ensured • Unhealthy diet
for agreeing to participate.
• High blood glucose
A questionnaire was used after approval from • Environmental pollution
Basrah Health Directorate/ Research Unit/Training • Cultural practices, norms and values
Department. Questions included were selected in a way
An overall knowledge of the risk factors was
that can assess the knowledge of students regarding risk
measured as how many students knows 50% of the
factors for chronic diseases such as stroke, diabetes and
risk factors or more(8 risk factor or more out of the 16
hypertension.
included in the questionnaire).
Risk factors for chronic diseases were chosen in
Data entry/Analysis:
the questionnaire according to the World Health Report
2010 so that it can capture risk factors according to the For the data entry and analysis of the study,
following classification(13): Microsoft Excel 2010 was used.
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2019, Vol. 10, No. 4 1601

Results environmental pollution, overweight/obesity, smoking,

unhealthy diet and genetic causes (75.1%, 67.1%,
Figure 1 shows that the study sample were 64.3%, 59.1% and 58% respectively|).
approximately equal between male and females students.
Table 1: Knowledge of Students about Risk
Age and sex were the most identified risk factors Factors of Chronic Diseases (%)
by the students (94.3% and 89.1% respectively). While
the level of education and over-consumption of alcohol Risk Factor Number Percentage
were found by the study to be among the least identified
Age 330 94.3
factors (24.9% and 21.7% respectively). (Figure 2).
Sex 312 89.1

Environmental pollution 263 75.1

overweight/obesity 235 67.1

Smoking 225 64.3

Unhealthy diet 207 59.1

Genetic causes 203 58.0

High blood pressure 181 51.7

Downloaded From IP - 180.151.4.186 on dated 13-Jan-2020

High cholesterol 178 50.9

Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

High blood glucose 178 50.9

www.IndianJournals.com

Figure 1: Distribution of the study sample according to

gender(%) Physical inactivity 104 29.7

Level of Education 87 24.9

Cultural 85 24.3

Excess alcohol 76 21.7

Poverty 55 15.7

Employment status 24 6.9

Table 2 represents the knowledge of risk factors

Figure 2: Knowledge of Students about Risk Factors of
Chronic Diseases (%)
Among other risk factors of chronic diseases
found by the present study (as shown in table 1) are:
and its distribution according to gender among the study
respondents. It was noted that Sex was the most identified
risk factors by the male respondents (71.2%) followed
by excess consumption of alcohol (59.2%), while the
level of education was identified in 71.1% of the female
respondents followed by unhealthy diet (79.1%).
 1602 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2019, Vol. 10, No. 4

Table 2: Knowledge of Risk Factors according to Gender of respondents(%)

Male Female Total

Risk Factor
No. (%) No. (%) No. (%)
Age 167 50.6 163 49.4 330 94.3
Sex 222 71.2 90 28.8 312 89.1
Environmental pollution 123 46.8 140 53.2 263 75.1
overweight/obesity 110 46.8 125 53.2 235 67.1
Smoking 125 55.6 100 44.4 225 64.3
Unhealthy diet 64 30.9 143 69.1 207 59.1
Genetic causes 106 52.2 97 47.8 203 58.0
High blood pressure 72 39.8 109 60.2 181 51.7
High cholesterol 94 52.8 84 47.2 178 50.9
High blood glucose 81 45.5 97 54.5 178 50.9
Physical inactivity 42 40.4 62 59.6 104 29.7
Level of Education 26 29.9 61 70.1 87 24.9
Cultural 31 36.5 54 63.5 85 24.3
Downloaded From IP - 180.151.4.186 on dated 13-Jan-2020

Excess alcohol 45 59.2 31 40.8 76 21.7

Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

Poverty 28 50.9 27 49.1 55 15.7

www.IndianJournals.com

Employment status 13 54.2 11 45.8 24 6.9

On studying the knowledge of the study sample

on the preventive measures of chronic diseases at the
individual level, maintaining healthy weight was most
identified measure followed by avoiding smoking and
eating health food (66.3%, 64.3% and 60% respectively).
(Figure 3)

On the other hand, at the community level, the present

study found that students knows more about increasing
green areas/gardens (62.9%) and implementing mass
media campaigns (58.3%). (Figure 4)
Figure 4: knowledge of the study sample on the preventive
measures of chronic diseases at the community level (%)
On assessing the overall knowledge of the Southern
Technical University students regarding risk factors of
chronic diseases, the present study found that only one
third of the students knows more than 50% of the total
risk factors included in the study (Figure 5).

Figure 3: knowledge of the study sample on the preventive

measures of chronic diseases at the individual level (%)

Figure 5: Overall knowledge of the study sample on the risk

factors of chronic diseases (%)
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2019, Vol. 10, No. 4
Discussion
Awareness of university students about the risk
factors of chronic diseases is a crucial element in
expanding this knowledge through-out the whole
community as they will form the families they will be
part of in the future.
In this present study, poor overall knowledge was
found among Southern Technical students in Basrah
regarding the risk factors of chronic diseases.
In a cross-sectional study done to assess the
knowledge regarding chronic diseases among 634
students aged 17-19 years in Sri Lanka, poor level of
knowledge was found specially about unhealthy lifestyle
practices and its relation with chronic non communicable
diseases(14).
A similar result was also found in other studies. One
of these studies was done to assess awareness level of
Downloaded From IP - 180.151.4.186 on dated 13-Jan-2020
first year medical students in Karnataka, India about
Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale
the risk factors of Cardio Vascular diseases(15). And also
www.IndianJournals.com
in another study involving students at Arizona State
University, USA(16).
The present study confirmed a higher level of
knowledge among female students compared to that
of male students specially in relation to the unhealthy
diet and the level of education as risk factors to chronic
diseases.
Better knowledge about the risk factors of chronic
diseases (specifically for Diabetes Mellitus) was also
found among female in a cross sectional study done in
Brazil(17).
A similar result was also found in another descriptive
study conducted in Sulaimaniya city – Iraq during 2015,
female knowledge was also found to be higher than male
regarding risk factors of hypertension disease(18).
On the other hand, a third study aiming to assess
the knowledge about diabetes among the males and
females in rural population of India, found that both
Males and females awareness level was poor with no
gender difference observed regarding the knowledge of
the disease(19).
In regards to studying the knowledge of the study
sample on the preventive measures of chronic diseases
at the individual level, maintaining health weight in
1603
addition to avoiding smoking and eating healthy
were found by the present study as the most identified
measures. These results can be compared with a cross-
sectional study that was conducted in China during 2011,
which revealed that eating healthy food was the most
identified preventive measure among the study sample
followed by decreasing smoking and drinking(20).
Conclusion
A poor overall knowledge regarding the risk factors
of chronic diseases was found among the students of
Southern Technical University in Basrah. Age and sex
were the most identified risk factors, while the level of
education and over-consumption of alcohol were found
to be among the least identified factors. The students
identified maintaining healthy weight, avoiding smoking
and eating health food as the main preventive measures
for chronic diseases. A specified educational program is
highly recommended by the present study targeting the
students of Southern Technical University in Basrah.
Ethical Clearance: The Research Ethical
Committee at scientific research by ethical approval of
both environmental and health and higher education and
scientific research ministries in Iraq
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they
have no conflict of interest.
Funding: Self-funding
References
1. Chaudhari A, Rami K and Thakor N. Assessment of
knowledge regarding non-communicable diseases and
their risk factors among students of higher secondary
school: an interventional study. International
Journal of Medical Science and Public Health.
2016; Vol (5), Issue 01: 115-118. Accessed online
in July 2018 at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/
b13c/67c6d3f3017384e0991d8b01786cf3c17754.
pdf
2. The World Health Organization. The World Health
Report Mental Health: New Understanding, New
Hope. 2001. Accessed online in July 2018 at: http://
www.mentalhealthpromotion.net/resources/whr01_
en-3.pdf
3. The World Health Organization. The World Health
Report 2003. Shaping the future. Accessed online
 1604 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2019, Vol. 10, No. 4
in July 2018 at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/
handle/10665/42789/9241562439.pdf;jsessionid=
A517C0BD8CE71BB6155E15 A62434BA03?
sequence=1
4. The World Health Organization. World health
statistics 2014. Accessed online in July
2018 at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/
handle/10665/112738/9789240692671_eng.
pdf?sequence=1
5. Becker MH. The health belief model and personal
health behavior. Health Education Monographs.
1974; 2:324–508.
6. Janz NK, Becker MH. The health belief model: a
decade later. Health Education Behavior. 1984;
11(1):1–47. doi:10.1177/109019818401100101
7. Collins KM, Dantico M, Shearer NB, Mossman KL.
Heart disease awareness among college students.
J Community Health. 2004; 29(5):405–420. doi:
Downloaded From IP - 180.151.4.186 on dated 13-Jan-2020
10.1023/B:JOHE.0000038655.19448.b2.
8. Chaudhari A, Rami K and Thakor N. Assessment
Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale
www.IndianJournals.com
of knowledge regarding non-communicable
diseases and their risk factors among students of
higher secondary school: an interventional study.
International Journal of Medical Science and Public
Health. 2016; 5(01): 115-118. Accessed online in
August 2018 at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/
b13c/67c6d3f3017384e0991d8b01786cf3c17754.
pdf
9. Tian M, Chen Y, Zhao R, Chen L, Chen X, Feng
D and Feng Z. Chronic disease knowledge and its
determinants among chronically ill adults in rural
areas of Shanxi Province in China: a cross-sectional
study. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11: 948. Accessed
online in August 2018 at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/pmc/articles/PMC3268774/
10. Frantz JM. A Knowledge assessment questionnaire
relating to risk factors for chronic disease of lifestyle
for high school learners: validity and reliability.
JCHS. 2008; 3 (01): 30-37. Accessed online in
August 2018 at: https://www.researchgate.net/
publication/42539333_A_knowledge_assessment_
questionnaire_relating_to_risk_factors_for_
chronic_diseases_of_lifestyle
11. Becker BM, Bromme R, Jucks R. College students’
knowledge of concepts related to the metabolic
syndrome. Psychol Health Med. 2008; 13(3):367–
379. doi: 10.1080/13548500701405525.
12. Collins KM, Dantico M, Shearer NB, Mossman KL.
Heart disease awareness among college students.
J Community Health. 2004; 29(5):405–420. doi:
10.1023/B: JOHE.0000038655.19448.b2.
13. The World Health Organization. The World Health
Report 2010 : Health Systems Financing: The
Path to Universal Coverage. Accessed online in
October 2018 at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/
handle/10665/44371/9789241564021_eng.
pdf?sequence=1
14. Gamage AU and Jayawardana PL. Knowledge of
non-communicable diseases and practices related to
healthy lifestyles among adolescents, in state schools
of a selected educational division in Sri Lanka. BMC
Public Health. 2018; vol:18: 64. Accessed online in
August 2018 at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
articles/PMC5530461/
15. Amruth M, Sagorika Mullick, Balakrishna AG,
Prabhudeva MC . Assessment of awareness about
cardiovascular disease risk factors and association
between overweight and family history of
cardiovascular disease among first-year medical
students of a medical college in Karnataka.
International Journal of Medical Science and Public
Health. 2015; 4(01): 92-96
16. Springer Verlag . Heart Disease Awareness
Among College Students. Association of Teachers
of Preventive Medicine. Journal of Community
Health. 2004; 29(5):405-20. Accessed online in
August 2018 at:   https://www.researchgate.net/
journal/0094-5145_Journal_of_Community_Health
17. Patrício F, Poliana RS, Graziele SL, Gisele A,
Carlos KB . Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus:
Does Gender Make a Difference?. Osong Public
Health and Research Perspectives. 2014; 5 (4):
199-203. Accessed online in August 2018 at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
S2210909914000629?via%3Dihub
18. Amena MR. Assessment of hypertensive patients’
knowledge about lifestyle risk factors and warning
signs of stroke. Journal of Contemporary Medical
Sciences. 2016; 2(5): 28–32.
19. Kumar IU, Murthy JP, Upadhya U and Venkatesh
M. Gender differences in awareness of diabetes
mellitus among the rural population. Asian Journal
of Medical Sciences. 2017; 8(2): 44-49.
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2019, Vol. 10, No. 4 1605

20. Song Y, Ma W, Yi X, Wang S, Sun X, et al. Chronic 21. h t t p s : / / j o u r n a l s . p l o s . o rg / p l o s o n e / a r t i c l e /

Diseases Knowledge and Related Factors among file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0068599&type=
the Elderly in Jinan, China. PLoS ONE 2013, printable
8(6): e68599. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0068599.
Accessed online in August 2018 at:
Downloaded From IP - 180.151.4.186 on dated 13-Jan-2020
Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale
www.IndianJournals.com